Furthermore, Lease is jeopardizing the skaters' careers by forcing them to make a statement. It's all "cool," "fashionable," and "progressive" in some countries to "speak out" their political views, but in some countries that can lead to disasters. Forcing skaters to speak against Putin and his policies is essentially putting the skaters in a tough spot, when it is clear that any dissent against Putin will endanger a person especially if they are on Russian soil. Lease is naive and has no idea how bad things can get.

I think perhaps you can easily take Charlie's statement is that they haven't discussed it at length, not that they've never talked about it ever. I wouldn't blame them if they felt they hadn't thought about it enough to make a statement. And that doesn't mean they're bad people.

Like everyone else, they have other priorities regarding how they want to make a difference in this world. For me, Ashley's response isn't a reflection of being better trained to respond to the media, but because she felt a deep conviction about the topic.

You also have to keep in mind that they may have been reluctant to say anything without discussing it with one another further, even if one of them really wanted to. That is because whatever one of them says reflects on the other and may impact the other. If Ashley Wagner wants to say something she is only accountable to herself, the USFSA and IOC. If Ashley Wagner wants to say something, she accepts the ramifications it may have for her in terms of her safety in Russia, standing with USFSA, whatever. If Meryl or Charlie say something, they are shoving the ramifications onto someone else. I think, actually, that Charlie's response may well have been the completely honest one, and not a sidestepping.

You also have to keep in mind that they may have been reluctant to say anything without discussing it with one another further, even if one of them really wanted to. That is because whatever one of them says reflects on the other and may impact the other. If Ashley Wagner wants to say something she is only accountable to herself, the USFSA and IOC. If Ashley Wagner wants to say something, she accepts the ramifications it may have for her in terms of her safety in Russia, standing with USFSA, whatever. If Meryl or Charlie say something, they are shoving the ramifications onto someone else. I think, actually, that Charlie's response may well have been the completely honest one, and not a sidestepping.

I was thinking this too, tulosai. It would have been improper for either of them to speak out on the issue without discussing it with each other. And given their busy schedule there was likely not a ton of time where they could have sat down over coffee and talked about it.

It wasn't an interview. It was one of those gossip/shoot-the-breeze sessions just between Jennifer and David that they put under the title "This and That." The main point that David was making is that Ashley forthrightly spoke her mind while everyone else, in particular Davis and White, "hid behind the USFSA and the USOC."

Lease also thought that Davis and White have blah personalities, like Lysacek, and so will not be in demand for endorsements, TV interviews, etc. Whatever.

I guess Mr. Lease thinks that all those Victoria's Secret models have endorsements because of their sparkling personalities and cogent wit.

I haven't read comments that speak highly of Lease in any shape or form. All he does is instigate unnecessary drama. Just leave the skaters alone and let them do their best. If he had as much on the line as they have, i.e. an actual shot at winning OGM, he would keep his mouth shut too. As of now, he is just a troublemaker and gossipmonger, so expecting others with legitimate shots at winning OGM to act and think like he does is laughable and ridiculous.

Wait a minute: David Lease was mocking Meryl's voice? Isn't he the guy who sits next to Jenny Kirk for all those interviews on TSL? No offense to Jenny as a person or a journalist, but under the circumstances....

Have a look at the first 8 minutes of the this and that edition 10/6. (october 6) youll see it.

I was thinking this too, tulosai. It would have been improper for either of them to speak out on the issue without discussing it with each other. And given their busy schedule there was likely not a ton of time where they could have sat down over coffee and talked about it.

Yes, I didn't quote you because I thought we disagreed but because I had something to tack on to your comment

I haven't read comments that speak highly of Lease in any shape or form. All he does is instigate unnecessary drama. Just leave the skaters alone and let them do their best. If he had as much on the line as they have, i.e. an actual shot at winning OGM, he would keep his mouth shut too. As of now, he is just a troublemaker and gossipmonger, so expecting others with legitimate shots at winning OGM to act and think like he does is laughable and ridiculous.

I think the point is, Meryl and Charlie are not losing sleep over anything David Leach says. Me either.

Dave is a total hypocrite. The Diva Wagner? Is he serious? He has lambasted her in the past, said she didn't deserve her national title this past year. But because she gave the "right answer" he's cool with her now? Please.

And Dave is the last person who should be commenting on anyone's personality or voice.

For what it's worth; I am very pro LGBT. however, I found that question completely inappropriate to ask athletes during the media summit.

I've always felt it to be unfair to put skaters on the spot about any hot-button issue. For one thing, a lot of people that age don't know how to put words together, and anything could come out. For another, these kids are working so hard that their lives are completely wrapped up in a small, constricted world, and they might not be up on all the aspects of the issue in question. Doris's points about the corporate policy of their sponsors and other skating-related issues also hold true. People should speak up when they're ready to speak up. Then they say something meaningful, as Ashley did. Catching some hapless skater saying something awkward or contrary doesn't make the Putin law any more or less wrong, and it doesn't get the law overturned any faster.

After John Lennon was shot dead, some reporter with a microphone found Paul McCartney and asked him what he thought. After some other phrases, McCartney finished up by saying, "It's a drag." Lennon fans, their feelings already raw with grief, took that as evidence that McCartney didn't care at all that his former bandmate had lost his life. Whatever their differences, the two men had been closer than brothers for most of their youth, and it was not possible that Lennon's death was merely "a drag" to Paul. Maybe he hadn't slept that night. Maybe he was so emotional that he covered up with a flip statement. Who knows why that silly phrase slipped out of his mouth? If a savvy guy like that, with twenty years in the spotlight, could be caught out in an unguarded moment, how can we expect some wet-behind-the-ears kid to sound like Winston Churchill?

Dave is a total hypocrite. The Diva Wagner? Is he serious? He has lambasted her in the past, said she didn't deserve her national title this past year. But because she gave the "right answer" he's cool with her now? Please.

He still doesn't think she deserved her National title and he's still criticizing her current year's program. Are you incapable of synthesizing two separate things?

Originally Posted by leafygreens

Originally Posted by Blades of Passion

Meryl&Charlie essentially lied, in a very lame manner. They obviously have some kind of opinion on the matter and decided to just ignore it and fabricate a story ("we've never talked about it" - what a joke, you've never once talked about this issue, EVER?).

That's a huge assumption, and very biased.

It's not an assumption at all, unless Meryl&Charlie are robots who haven't yet been programmed to answer the question. At some point in their lives they have thought about the gay rights issue, even if just briefly. It's 2013 and they are very educated people. I mean really now, come on.

He still doesn't think she deserved her National title and he's still criticizing her current year's program. Are you incapable of synthesizing two separate things?

It's not an assumption at all, unless Meryl&Charlie are robots who haven't yet been programmed to answer the question. At some point in their lives they have thought about the gay rights issue, even if just briefly. It's 2013 and they are very educated people. I mean really now, come on.

It depends on where they're from and how they were raised. In the South, responding to a question by saying something like "We've never really discussed that" or "It hadn't entered my mind" is a polite way of saying, "I don't think that's any of your business, and I'm not going to say anything further on the matter."

Which, by the way, is a valid approach in this circumstance.

And while I personally oppose the Russian laws, I also wouldn't trash them... and by extension, my hosts... if I were expecting to be a guest in their country while representing my own.